PRACTICAL MAGIC 2 - film

Look I wish it were better news my friends but … *sigh*

With a cast stacked with big names, many of whom have had a distractingly large amount of plastic surgery on their faces, this had potential to be fun but unfortunately the big names - Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock chief among them - have been dealt a dud script. Honestly, the frequency with which “She deserves to know” or a variation thereof is uttered might make you wonder if they were accidentally projecting* an episode of The Bold and the Beautiful onto the big screen.

If you saw and liked the first one … well, broaden your horizons firstly** but … you’ll probably enjoy this enough. But it’s really dumb, WAY too long and you can absolutely, categorically wait for it to pop up on a streamer if you just want to satisfy your curiosity.

Two stars from me. Do better, Hollywood!

Proper review here if you want to know more and trailer here. Practical Magic 2 is in cinemas 10 September 2026, rated M and runs 130 minutes.

*I know they don’t project any more like they used to … just let me be an old gen X-er okaayyy!?

**Feeling harsh today, sorry! I know lots of people like it … it’s just not my cup of tea.

SPA WEEKEND

Spa Weekend is EXACTLY what you think it is if you’ve seen the trailer or even an ad. Which is to say, it’s a pile of rubbish but one that has a place in the world.

That very specific place is ‘this is a hook for mothers who want to escape their children and partners for one night using the excuse of a ‘girls’ night’ at the movies’.

Will those mothers be glad they saw it, even though it’s a big ol’ trailer of crap? Yes, I believe they will. Will they think it’s very good? No, probably not.

For everyone else, you should avoid this one. It’s pretty universally panned though Isla Fisher is rightly being lauded for her excellent comedic chops. Her performance reminded me a little of Rose Byrne in Bridesmaids insofar as it leaves you thinking, wowsers, she’s a brilliant comedic actress, more of this please!

The only other thing I will praise this film for is featuring excellent actress Michelle Buteau whose body is bigger than your typical Hollywood stick figure and yet she is miraculously just going about her life happily, not being sad about that body. Miracles do happen!

If you want to read more about the plot, cast etc, check out this two star review in The Guardian.

Spa Weekend is rated M, runs 97 minutes and is in cinemas now. If you watch the trailer and think, oh that looks kinda funny and a good one to see with (insert name of your ride-or-die bestie), then heck yes, go see it, laugh a few times, have a choc top and be glad you left someone else to manage witching hour at home.

ONE NIGHT ONLY - film

One Night Only is dreadful. Give it a miss. It’s predictable, unsubtle and just plain dumb.

That one of Australia’s most experienced film critics, Leigh Paatsch, gave it 3.5 stars blows my mind. If anyone reading this knows Leigh please check in on him because I reckon he MIGHT NOT BE OKAY. Two stars from The Guardian seems more accurate to me.

One Night Only is in cinemas now. It runs 102 minutes and is rated M. Trailer here.

TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA - film

This film is wild and strange. I loved it!

Hannah Einbinder (you might recognise her from Hacks, the brilliant TV show) is film director Kris in Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (TSADACM) and she’s attempting to do an origin story remake of a horror film called Camp Miasma. Camp Miasma starred Billy, played by Gillian Anderson, who Kris is now trying to recruit to be in her reboot. Anderson and Einbinder are both superb.

I think a lot of the joy of this film is in how surprising and mind-bending it is so I’m going to leave it at that. (This blog is literally called ‘cut to the chase’ so no refunds for unsatisfied readers!)

Actually the only other thing I think it’s valuable for you to know in discerning if TSADACM is for you is that there’s horror (not scary really), blood, death, violence and sex in this film. It’s funny, it’s a lot and it’s not for the faint-hearted nor for the basic b**ches among you.

TSADACM is in cinemas now, rated MA 15+ and runs 111 minutes. Trailer here.

HOLY DAYS - film

Am I the only person invited to the media preview of Holy Days who searched high and low for a REAL LIVE NUN to take as my plus one?! I suspect so. See how much effort I go to for my readers?!

To cut to the chase, I’ll tell you that this comedy/drama is … nice enough. Will it rock your world? Nup. Will it make you laugh a number of times, maybe shed a few tears and marvel at what brilliant actors Jacki Weaver and Judy Davis are? Yep.

Weaver and Davis star alongside Miriam Margolyes as three nuns living in New Zealand who find themselves at the mercy of Catholic church’s male-stacked hierarchy who want to sell the property they live on and cash in on the significant profits. They take a road trip necessary to save the place with 10-ish year old Brian in tow, who’s mourning the death of his mother. (Long story.) If humanising nuns doesn’t bring enough lolz (Davis, Weaver and Margolyes danced and two people next to me and my nun appeared to think it was the funniest thing they’d ever seen), adding some intergenerational misunderstandings will get you there!

This is ‘take your mum’ fodder, I reckon. You’ll have a good time and then a week later possibly have forgotten the film. Still not a bad way to spend a couple of hours!

Holy Days is in cinemas now, is rated PG and runs 101 minutes. Trailer here.

THE ODYSSEY - film

This Christopher Nolan fantasy action epic is based on the ancient tale Odyssey by Greek poet Homer. After ten years of war, King Odysseus (Matt Damon) sets sail for Ithaca, desperate to reunite with his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway). His journey home is treacherous beyond imagining … hence the run time of almost three hours! (Did somebody say, restrict fluids?!)

The star-studded cast goes well beyond Damon and Hathaway, with Tom Holland, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Robert Pattinson, Elliot Page, Himesh Patel, Lupita Nyong’o, John Leguizamo (!) and Benny Safdie amongst the others thrown in for good measure.

Nolan’s legacy and this cast are at the heart of the significant buzz in the lead up to release about how great this film is. DOES IT LIVE UP TO THE HYPE?! … this is what everyone is asking!

For me, heck yes it does. This is EPIC. I loved it.

While watching in IMAX Melbourne - more on that here for movie nerds - I was pondering if I’d recommend seeing it at IMAX specifically, as Nolan intended. For most of the film I thought, nah, give me a reclining seat for this one where I can have a comfy chair for a three hours of intensity and I’ll pay the price of a smaller screen. But then … hooo boy … the thunderous crescendo of the film that was SO exciting made me think, oh there is definitely something special about this experience in this particular type of cinema. You do you, my friends.

The Odyssey is spectacular film making that most, though not all, will love. For example, the friend who slid into my Instagram DMs when I posted about going to the Melbourne premiere asking if they’d like it when they’re a “Billy Elliott and Four Weddings & A Funeral sort of gal”… the answer is, nahhh. But if you love epics, big names, classic stories and/or restricting fluids to prevent mid-movie loo trips, then this is for you! Go forth!

The Odyssey opens on Thursday 16 July, runs 172 minutes and is rated M. Trailer here. (FIFTY MILLION views of a trailer ain’t bad!)

PS - the friend I took to the premiere didn’t love it as much as me. He agreed it’s epic, cinematic brilliance but the story didn’t float his boat. And on that note I’ll say this - you do really have to pay attention as there’s a LOT going on. I probably need to see it again to pick up things I surely missed.

THE INVITE - film

This film starring Olivia Wilde (also directing), Seth Rogan, Penelope Cruz and Ed Norton is getting a lot of buzz and rave reviews. I think this caused me to go in with slightly too high expectations. It’s 4 stars worth of greatness but it’s not 5 stars worth of excellence for me. Four stars worth of greatness = a really great film!

It was written by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack, the former a star of a favourite TV show of mine, Parks and Recreation. This is an excellent screen play that nicely captures how humans genuinely talk to each other in awkward situations.

Speaking of awkward - to cut to the chase re the plot, two couples living in neighbouring apartments meet up for dinner in Wilde & Rogan’s apartment. Dirty linen is aired, niceties exchanged, arguments had and the notion of partner swapping is on the menu too… no spoilers here.

This film is funny and dramatic and really well executed and I enjoyed it a lot. Well worth a look!

Here’s a four star review in The Guardian if you’d like to read more about the the film.

The Invite is in cinemas now, runs 107 minutes and is rated MA 15+. Trailer here.

TUNER - film

Good old fashioned Hollywood storytelling … HECK YES!

I really enjoyed Tuner, I reckon it’s excellent.

Leo Woodall plays Niki, a piano tuner with super sensitive hearing. He works for and is mentored professionally and personally by Dustin Hoffman’s Harry. There’s a bit of comedy, a bit of romance, a bit of crime and a bit of thriller packed into this drama and it strikes me as the kind of film that no one could really dislike - perfect for couples or groups of people with divergent tastes.

Here’s a proper review in The Guardian - 4 stars - if you’d like to know more about the film. It’s in cinemas now, rated MA 15+ and runs 109 minutes.

TOY STORY 5 - film

Loved it! A bit saccharine and preachy about digital devices but overall it’s charming and fun. The kids in the theatre all seemed to love it but the teenagers seems a bit less glowing from what I could tell … call me crazy but I reckon they probably don’t love the aforementioned preaching about digital devices!

In cinemas now, trailer here.

THE CHRISTOPHERS - film

In The Christophers, the children of grumpy, reclusive artist Julian Sklar (Ian McKellen) hire skilled art restorer Lori (Michaela Coel) to secretly complete their famous artist father’s unfinished, valuable paintings. He’s alive, mind you, and really doesn’t like his kids, played by James Corden and Jessica Gunning. And rightly so - they’re a couple of greedy little grifters!

It’s a funny drama and I really, really enjoyed it! It sits nicely in a general crowd-pleaser genre where, for example, a couple of people with divergent taste could equally enjoy it. Do catch this one - it’s good old fashioned cinematic fun and has rightly received roundly positive reviews. (For example, five stars from The Guardian.)

The Christophers is in cinemas now, runs 100 minutes and is rated MA 15+. Trailer here.

POWER BALLAD - film

If you’ve got Paul Rudd you can usually count me in. And so it was with Power Ballad, his new two-hander with Nick Jonas of Jonas Brothers fame.

As you might expect from the name of the film and inclusion of a Jonas brother (a Joni/Jone-eye?) this film has a music theme and it’s pretty good fun. It won’t rock your world - pardon the pun - but it’s an enjoyable way to spend 98 minutes.

Rudd stars as the lead singer in a cover band with Jonas as a - surprise! - hugely popular singer with rising success but struggling to come up with his next hit. They meet and collaborate in unexpected circumstances … but did they ‘collaborate’?!

Power Ballad has been pretty positively reviewed - this four star review in The Guardian for example - and I think that’s maybe a smidge generous but only a smidge. The marketing of it is perhaps a tad confusing insofar as it’s not playing at all mainstream big cinemas but is in many arthouse cinemas. It’s a mainstream crowd-pleaser for mine, certainly not highbrow arthouse. I enjoyed this one and recommend it to you if you want a light-going good time.

Power Ballad is in cinemas now and rated M. Trailer here.

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2 - film

Meh. That’s two hours of my life and $30 (!) I’ll never get back. What a shame.

PROJECT HAIL MARY

Went in blind to this one … and I loved it!

Project Hail Mary is based on a popular book. Who knew?! Not me! And if I known it was based on a sci fi book the truth is I probably wouldn’t have seen it. Or certainly not paid to! A good reminder to broaden your horizons and try something out of your comfort zone from time to time.

It stars Ryan Gosling as Dr Ryland Grace, part primary school teacher, part fantasy space adventurer. I’m not going to tell you more about the plot because a) that ain’t our style here at Cut To The Chase and b) because I went in knowing nothing and I think that’s part of how much I enjoyed it.

At 156 minutes it’s a long one which regular readers will know I’m no fan of but this one doesn’t feel long. I saw it at IMAX and I think that immersion was part of the enjoyment too. It’s silly so do go in knowing that - it’s fantasy afterall - but if you can roll with it, I think this has great, broad, mainstream appeal and is well worth your time. Aside from anything else, what’s not to love about seeing Ryan Gosling’s stunningly handsome face on the big screen for 2.5 hours?! (The guy somehow makes a crappy old chunky cardigan look good and I rate that.)

Project Hail Mary is rated M and opens Thursday 19 March. If you want to know more about the film, try this 4 star review by the BBC. Trailer here.

WUTHERING HEIGHTS - film

If you’ve followed the press coverage - and it’s been hard to miss - you may know some critics are panning Wuthering Heights, Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of the novel. With that in mind, though actually not super consciously, I went into this one with low expectations.

THEY WERE EXCEEDED! Is this film perfect? Hell no. There’s weird and dumb moments and at 2 hours 15 minutes it’s half an hour too long but you know what, I kinda enjoyed it! Snooty critics be damned!

With Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi as Cathy and Heathcliff, there’s a lot for Aussies to be proud of. They both knock it out the park. As for criticisms they lack chemistry … what nonsense. Plenty of chemistry and plenty of opportunity for it, if you know what I mean.

Whilst I’m myth-busting I’d also like to say that to people who say ‘this ain’t a love story’ … bollocks. It’s totally a love story. A messy and complicated and in this version, exceedingly drawn out, one with a bit going on outside the love story but a love story nonetheless.

If you’re a fan of the book I’m sorry to say I cannot help you - I’ve never read it and went into the film knowing nothing of the story. So to the question of whether it’s true to the Emily Brontë novel written in 1847 … your guess is as good as mine!

This was 3.5 stars worth of good for me. It’s in cinemas now and rated M.

PS. I am aware the film is technically called “Wuthering Heights” as in, with quote marks, because the director wanted to convey … blah blah blah… sorry I fell asleep listening to the pretentious explanation … do not @ me!

IS THIS THING ON? - film

Is This Thing On? is a dramedy that follows Alex (Will Arnett) and Tess (Laura Dern) as their 20 year-long marriage is gently unravelling. As they navigate this including co-parenting their two late primary school-age children, Alex stumbles into trying stand-up comedy and it becomes a form of therapy to process what he’s going through. Her story is the less prominent of the two, but Tess also grapples with this change including exploring what she’d like to do to redefine herself and embrace her new, different life.

I saw this film described in a review as a ‘rom com’ and whilst stand up comedy features prominently, I think I’d probably say it’s more drama than comedy. Funny in parts for sure but don’t go expecting to be laughing incessantly! 'Is This Thing On? is more subtle than that. I really, really enjoyed it!

Laura Dern is always excellent and when it comes to Will Arnett, I think I just found it refreshing to see him act again having most recently been primarily exposed to him by listening to the podcast he co-hosts. He’s a good actor and it was nice to be reminded of it having been put off him a little due to the extreme privileged white man vibes he gives off on the podcast. But, I digress!…

Is This Thing On? is good old fashioned story telling, I reckon. It’s based on the story of a UK comic John Bishop and I think it’s one of those situations where someone has an interesting story, that’s translated to the big screen so we can all enjoy it and enjoy it we do!

It’s directed by Bradley Cooper which explains the strangely small role he plays in the film which is at odds with how big a star he is!

It’s rated M, runs 121 minutes and opens in cinemas on 5 February. A 4 star review in The Guardian here if you’d like to read more. Trailer here.

MARTY SUPREME - film

Hooooo boy. This film starring Timothée Chalamet is intense! At the end - after 2.5 hours no less - I felt like I could finally unclench my teeth.

Marty Supreme is set in the 1950s with Chalamet as Marty Mauser, an arrogant, annoying, relentless, calculating, lying young table tennis prodigy trying to break through to the top of the professional scene. I found him thoroughly unlikeable. Often characters like this are pitched comfortably in ‘sure he’s annoying but you can’t help but get behind an underdog’ territory but I personally was never really rooting for him. That said, I was invested in the story and absolutely engaged right to the end to see his fate. I don’t think I was rooting for him to *not* make it but nor was I on his side. Wherever your land on that spectrum, it’s hard to not be completely intrigued by how this story ends. Will this scheming little twerp be victorious?! Yes, I wanted to know.

The story is convoluted in some ways which explains the 2.5 hour length. There’s a through line about a dog which adds drama and tension but to my mind, chopping that would have been a simple way to drop the run time down by the 30 minutes (more, even) that I reckon it needs.

Gwyneth Paltrow plays … well, I won’t say too much as the role her character plays has an interesting intersection with Marty’s story that I think it’s good to discover as you watch the film. She’s luminous and it’s great to see her back on the big screen.

This film’s out at this time of year because it’s excellent and featuring prominently in award season buzz. I really enjoyed it but perhaps not as much as the Oscars judging panel seem to! There’s a 3.5 star review in the Fairfax press here if you’d like to read more. I reckon I’d give it about 3.5 too.

Marty Supreme is rated M, runs 149 minutes and is in cinemas now.

BLUE MOON - film

Before there was Rogers and Hammerstein (IYKYK) there was Rogers and Hart and Blue Moon tells the story of Hart - Lorenz, played by Ethan Hawke - and how he lost the chance to be one half of arguably the most famous musical theatre writing duo in history.

As you might expect from a film adjacent to musical theatre this film is pretty camp, or at least Hawke as Hart is, and it’s a really terrific watch. Andrew Scott (#swoon) is Rogers and honestly I’d watch him read the phone book so count me in for anything in which he stars. Bobby Cannavale and Margaret Qualley also feature, Qualley stunning and compelling as always, Cannavale fun to watch as always.

I and the friend I saw this with both really liked Blue Moon. My made the astute observation that it felt a little bit like watching live theatre and he’s right. That’ll make sense if you see it which I recommend you do.

Blue Moon opens on 29 January, runs 100 minutes (YAY) and is rated M. The Guardian gave it four stars, with which I concur - check out their review if you want to know more on this one. Trailer here.

SONG SUNG BLUE - film

A Milwaukee couple played by Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson rise to fame as a Neil Diamond tribute act… sounds fun, right?!

Welllll…. here’s the thing you wouldn’t know from the ads and promo of this terrific film … it sure is fun at times but it’s also sad at times! Don’t go in not knowing this! Not sad in an unwatchable or unappealing way. I just think it’s worth you knowing that it’s not all beer and Skittles! (Or “Sweet Caroline… bup bup buuup”.)

So as you’d expect based on the above caveat, significant challenges befall our Neil Diamond and Patsy Cline wannabes but overall I thought Song Sung Blue was really great and Kate Hudson deserves that Emmy nomination she’s notched up - she’s excellent in this.

Here’s a four star review in The Guardian if you’d like to know more about the storyline.

Song Sung Blue opens 1 January, is rated M and runs 133 minutes.

THE HOUSEMAID - film

This thriller based on the wildly popular book of the same name is … good enough. I enjoyed it! I’d read the book so, knowing how it ended, it wasn’t super thriller-ish for me but having really enjoyed the book, I did really like seeing it brought to life on the big screen.

Will it trouble the judging panels of upcoming Oscar and Emmy awards?* Nope. Is it just good old fashioned story telling done well for the masses? Yep.

Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney star and both do well, though particularly Seyfried who plays a woman … wait… I’ll stop. It’s best you go in blind I reckon. The Housemaid is getting quite mixed reviews. The Guardian and Mamamia loved it but The Age didn’t have much positive to say in their 2.5 star review. Read one of these reviews if you’d like some more details on the storyline but as I say - my advice is to just leap into this blind! (If you’ve read the book I reckon you’ll have the same take on the film as me.)

The Housemaid is in cinemas now. runs 2 hours 11 mins (20 mins too long) and is rated MA15+.

* I know that’s not how it works, don’t @ me!

THE HISTORY OF SOUND - film

This time of year heralds the rising of the award nominee films so it’s typically a good time to head to the cinema if you don’t go often.

The History of Sound strikes me as classic awards bait. It’s good but perhaps not quite as good as it thinks.

Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor star as Lionel and David, young men who meet in 1917 in the music school at the Boston Conservatory and fall in love. WWI separates them initially but they are reunited by music and love before again taking divergent paths.

This film is lovely but slow. Gentle but a little too gentle. Mescal and O’Connor are both excellent but overall I’d say this film is a nice-to-see not must-see feature of awards season.

The History of Sound opens on 18 December and runs for 128 minutes which is at least 20 minutes too long unfortunately.